Throne

,—a sumptuous, richly furnished, and
elevated feat, which is placed upon a platform,
with steps to it, and would serve as well for a scaf­fold,
as anything else; but it is made for a King
to sit on A man, fantastically drest out in ermine,
velvet, gold and silver tinsel, gold and silver span­gles,
squirrel and rabbit skins. Thus tricked out,
like the wooden god of Otaheite, having scarcely
the resemblance of a human being, it is no won­der
that men should be so deluded, as to think him
more than mortal, when it requires so little of
imagination to metamorphose him at once into an
object of worship. Under this impression, when
they approach the throne, they are struck with
awe and dismay, and address this bundle of fine
clothes with bended knee and an humble voice, as
if they were attempting to appease an irritated
Deity. If the address pleases the oracle, a great
red hand is protruded from under this now animated
bundle, which the priests, who are standing around
the altar, and assisting at these solemn rites, tell the
lowly supplicant he is to kiss!! To kiss? Heaven
and earth, must I remember?—To kiss? And yet
if you ask one of these despicable wretches, after
having gone through this pantomimic scene, whe­ther
hs is a lunatic? “No,” he will tell you,
“I’m a loyal man.” Pitiful, sorry wretch! loyal
thou mayest be ,a man thou canst never pretend to
be!